The director helped propel Depp to fame by casting him as his monstrous anti-hero with a heart of gold in the hit 80s film, and has gone on to work with him throughout his career.

Tim told Deadline it was easy to cast the heartthrob as Edward Scissorhands because he was the same.

The director said: "It was quite simple. I had seen pictures and stuff, and I met him and he just reminded me of what the character was.

"At the time he was perceived as a teen idol, you know, a Justin Bieber type of guy, but as a person he wasn't that. So, for me, he mirrored what Edward Scissorhands was: He was something inside, but people treated him a certain way because of the way he looks.

"So in a weird way, he was the character, because he had those feelings."

Tim, who recently broke his arm slipping on an icy street in London, is nominated for an Oscar for his animation Frankenweenie. But he is yet to consider his next project.

He said: "I don't really know what it is. Because I just sort of injured myself so I'm just getting through the pain threshold now, so it's kind of hard to think at the moment. And I don't really have anything at the moment."